University of Bolton is thanked for its support with anti-terror training exercises

Senior officers from Greater Manchester Police thanked staff at the University of Bolton for their support with a series of joint large-scale training emergency services exercises held last summer.

Greater Manchester Police’s (GMP) Firearms Training Unit, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service (GMFRS) and North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) worked together on the exercises on the University campus in June and July.

The aim was to ensure they are ready to respond in the event of terror attacks or incidents involving large numbers of casualties.

The weekly night-time exercises saw the three emergency services respond to mock real-life scenarios to put their joint responses to the test.

The scenarios were made more realistic thanks to volunteers playing the role of casualties, suffering from a wide range of realistic injuries, created by the University’s SFX students, that required rapid treatment and rescue. 

Chief Superintendent Mark Dexter, Head of the Special Operations Branch at GMP, Chief Inspector Liam Wareing and Sergeant Nick Joynt, from GMP’s Firearms Training Unit, visited the University to present certificates to key members of staff who had helped facilitate the complex exercises.

Chief Inspector Wareing said: “We would not have been able to carry out such a successful exercise without the help and support of the University and the facilities on campus that we were able to use made it as realistic as it could be.

“We took a lot of recommendations and learning points from it, and we are now as prepared as we can possibly be. The University’s help was invaluable.”

Michelle Powell, the University of Bolton’s Head of the Clinical and Biomedical Sciences School, said: “It was such a valuable exercise for all involved and it was amazing what our students learned. It allowed our students from various professional backgrounds, paramedic, physiotherapy, physician associates, ODP and nursing, to be involved in a large simulation and experience care from a patient perspective.”

Professor George E Holmes DL, President and Vice Chancellor of the University of Bolton, said: “It was our pleasure to collaborate with the police and other emergency services on these exercises, which were extremely valuable for our students from a wide variety of disciplines.

“I am delighted that they were so successful and grateful that the officers from GMP took the time to visit us today to present these certificates. We are always happy to support those whose job is to keep us safe.”